Republicans to field candidate against Assemblyman Kevin Cahill in 2014

KINGSTON, N.Y. -- Days after Kingston Mayor Shayne Gallo warned that Assemblyman Kevin Cahill's days in the state Legislature could be numbered, Ulster County Republican Committee Chairman Roger Rascoe said the GOP "absolutely" intends to run a candidate against the veteran lawmaker in 2014.

"I don't think he represents Ulster County very well, said Rascoe, calling Cahill's role in blocking approval of an extension of the county's sales tax "representative of a man who has been in power for too long."

"It was kind of like a bullying action on his part and I think the folks are unhappy about it," said Rascoe.

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Last week, Gallo, who has been among those critical of Cahill, said the assemblyman's decision to block the sales tax extension could make him vulnerable at election time.

On Monday, Gallo said if the city loses sales tax revenues as a result of Cahill's action, he will make sure city residents know why.

"If the city loses one-quarter of its sales tax revenue, there will be layoffs, there will be cuts in services ... garbage collection could be affected, code enforcement could be affected, contracts will vendors could be affected," said Gallo.

"The kind of suffering that will be inflicted on the public by the assemblyman's inaction and lack of foresight is going to be a problem for him," said Gallo.

"People are going to want to know why and we're going to point the finger right at Assemblyman Cahill.

In the waning hours of the state legislative session, Cahill managed to block a bill allowing the county to continuing levying an additional 1 percent sales tax -- on top of the 3 percent sales tax already allowed -- by introducing a bill of his own linking the extension to a county takeover of the local Safety Net welfare costs. Faced with competing bills (Assemblyman Frank Skartados, D-Milton, had introduced the extender bill requested by the county which didn't contain the Safety Net provision), the state Assembly declined to take up either bill.

Over the course of the past several weeks, elected officials from all quarters of the county have decried Cahill's actions.

On Friday Ulster County Sheriff Paul Van Blarcum sent a letter to Gov. Andrew Cuomo asking him to reconvene the Legislature to vote on the bill, saying that the loss of the sales tax revenue could hurt the county's ability to provide critical law enforcement services.

Ulster County Executive Michael Hein said if an extender bill isn't approved in September, the county would lose roughly $8 million in sales tax revenues.

Gallo said the city would lose between $750,000 and $1 million.

"If the city were to lose that revenue, there would be no one to blame but (Cahill)," said Gallo. "Kevin is a part of a culture of disconnect, indifference and cronyism.

"I'm praying his final legacy isn't the financial ruin of the city of Kingston," he said.

A staffer in Cahill's office on Monday said the assemblyman would not be returning a reporter's telephone call.